


Coming To A Head

by OhhMyy



Series: Coming Back To Life. [27]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Past Abuse, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 06:11:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11075649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhhMyy/pseuds/OhhMyy
Summary: A visit to the farm, a visitor from the past and a crapton (official measurement) of angst.





	1. Chapter 1

When she wakes it is with a dull ache in the side of her head and a familiar smell of the barn that tells her she’s still at home. She can feel blood congealing at the side of her head, dripping slowly onto her face. She’s aware that her wrists are tied behind her back and she fiddles with the fastenings on the plastic cable ties with her fingers before glancing around. She sees her parents on the other side of the barn, tied together by the wrists and feet but she can see her mother is awake; her hands fiddling with something behind her back and Charlie assumed she’s trying to escape her confines. Her heart lurches painfully in her chest and she kicks out at the ties around her ankles before letting out a frustrated cry.

“You’re awake, good, I was hoping we could talk about our reconciliation” She hears from behind her as Andrew walks around her and stops in her field of vision. She’s terrified, can feel the unsteady beat of her heart against her ribcage and her hands trembling behind her back as she picks at the ties but she lets out a harsh laugh and takes a moment to enjoy the look of confusion on his face before he steps forward and hits her around the head with his closed fist. She grunts and her head falls forward, throbbing painfully. She chuckles quietly under her breath, dark and cynical.

“What are you laughing at, bitch?”

She looks up at him, licks the blood that’s dripping from her lips and spits a mouthful of it onto the floor next to her before answering. She is used to fear, has had it beaten into her over two years of agony at his hands but her heart is filled with a new sort of courage and rage that comes from knowing without a shadow of doubt that her friends will come. Even if it is too late for her, they will always come.

“You’re an idiot Andrew”

He hits her again and she’s aware she really shouldn’t be antagonising the man with the clear and present advantage but she picks her head straight back up and places a false smile firmly on her face. She can see how unsettled he is; knows he had gotten used to her whimpers and her cowering and her pleading. His face twists in confusion.

“They’re going to kill you” She chuckles, before dropping her head, suddenly exhausted and dizzy, space around her spinning. He steps away from her, but she can still see his shadow blurry on the ground in front of her before she has to shut her eyes, nausea sweeping over her.

“Oh them, I’d almost forgotten about them. How is life whoring for the Avengers?” His voice is full of derision and she knows him, has known him, well enough to know he’s smirking, he’ll expect her to flinch, shrink away and hide and her brain is screaming at her to shut up, stop antagonising him even as her mouth moves.

“It’s great, much bigger dicks than I was used to” He kicks her this time, steel toes boot coming into contact with her shin and she screams as her body jerks.

“Shut up, stupid bitch or I’ll kill you” That does shut her up and she starts picking at the ties behind her again, desperately trying to free herself. Andrew walks over to her parents and she screams at him.

“Maybe I’ll kill Mummy and Daddy instead”

“Andrew no! I swear if you touch them I’ll kill you myself”

Her screams work if for nothing else than getting him away from her folks. He’s walked back over to her, crouching on the ground by her feet and he brings his hand to rest against her thigh, gripping tightly as she kicks her legs out in an attempt to get him off. He moves his hand higher against her thigh and she’s gripped with sudden, paralysing fear. He’s beaten her till she was black and blue, screamed in her face, pulled her hair  and treated her well below human but he’s never forced himself upon her, not like this and the thought that he would is suddenly sharp in her mind. He pushes down hard on her leg and springs away from her.

“Get away from my daughter, you asshole!” He swings his head around sharply to glare at Elena before whipping it back around.

“I wouldn’t touch you, Sweetheart, not like that” He sounds deceptively sincere but she knows from experience this is what comes before bitterness and pain “Not anymore, you’ve ruined yourself, running around with those assholes you call heroes. I’m surprised any of them wanted you, you’re damaged, pathetic” He spits it at her, kicking the sole of her foot with the toe of his boots before his whole demeanour changes and he crouches again. She’s almost forgotten how this feels, emotional whiplash of constant mood swings.

“But I’d have you back Charlie, just like old times” He grips her chin between this thumb and finger, tilts her head so she’s looking at him in the eyes “I’d have to break you back in but I’ve missed you, missed your body” He presses his lips to hers harshly, shoves his tongue between her closed lips. She bits down on his tongue, tastings the blood she manages to draw from it before his fist collides with her face and the world spins violently.

She’s vaguely aware of the barn doors opening and yelling. The room is fading in and out of focus and she’s certain she can hear a scuffle but can’t think much beyond being thankful that he’s left her alone and worried about her parents. There’s noise, lots of noise, metal scraping and heavy feet hitting the floor but everything is muffled against the pounding inside her head. More yelling, more noise and she blacks out for a second before she feels hands gripping the top of her arms and she flinches away when a voice (gentle, not Andrew but she can’t tell who it is as her vision swims) calls her Sweetheart before the room goes blank again.


	2. Chapter 2

It’s a testament to how long she’d spent being tortured in silence that she doesn’t make a noise when she wakes, sitting up only half way before her body is on fire with pain and she falls back down again. She’s aware that when she falls it is not onto a stone floor or hay but onto pillows. She opens her eyes and squints in discomfort as her vision adjusts to the room. She sighs inwardly as she concludes she’s in her own bedroom but she’s still alert as she takes in the noises of the house; knows Andrew could have moved her with ease.

She hears footsteps moving towards her bedroom and lies still, eyes squeezed tightly shut as the footsteps come to a halt just inside the doorway. She hears a tired exhale before a voice; gentle but gravelly, full of worry.

“Charlie?”

“Tony?” She sobs his name out as if it’s a prayer and has to shut her eyes tightly against the onslaught of water that suddenly leaves her eyes involuntarily.

She opens her eyes, sitting up quickly and regretting it instantly when the room spins and she has to close her eyes to readjust before opening them again and seeing his worried expression as he stands nervously in the doorway, hands hovering out to catch her but without being close enough to. She can feel the tears streaming down her face before she’s registered she’s crying but she holds out of arms and gestures lamely for him to come and hug her. He does so without question and she grips him so tightly that her hands dig into the skin of his back through his t-shirt. They stay that way for at least a few minutes and he grips her just as tightly whilst trying not to catch her various bruises; his head is buried into her hair and she can feel him trembling as she holds on for dear life; anchoring herself to the world with the warmth of his skin. When she pulls away she takes in the black bruise around his eye and the cut on his lip and runs her thumb gently against his cheek as she places her hand on the side of his face; he leans into the touch and if he were a cat he’d be purring.

“Hey Kid” He whispers, nuzzling into her palm and she feels his shivers die down, he’s not a proud enough man to even try to hide the watery gloss in his eyes, closing them only briefly to let out a small sigh as a tear escapes it’s prison and trails down his cheek.

“Where are my parents?” She removes her hand from his face and wipes the salty tears from her own, wincing as her hand touches the skin below her eye.

“They’re fine; they’re in the kitchen speaking to Thor. Sir is gonna have a nasty bruise in the morning but compared to the headache from listening to Blondie that’s nothing”

“Thor?”

“We flew here as soon as we could, kicked butt and the rest of them are on their way” She knows him well enough to recognise his attempts at jovial, knows this is how he copes with life when it troubles him and she’s not about to make him change that method.

She nods, can physically feel herself collecting each thought in her head as though they’d scattered around the room and she pieces them all together. She’s not sure what she wants to ask first so she sits silent until something brings itself to the front of the queue.

“Where’s Andrew?” Her voice is raspy and Tony scoots around the bed quickly to grab water from her bedside table before handing it to her and perching himself on the bed next to her, legs dangling from the side. She takes slow sips of the water, cup clasped in one hand.

“In the barn with a hammer on his chest”

“How did you know where we were?”

“Mama has me on speed dial and your ex is an idiot who doesn’t know how to kidnap people properly or confiscate phones” She laughs, winces again when it makes her head sting. He takes the cup of water from her and places it back down beside the bed before rubbing circles on her lower back with one hand “Have I never taught you not to sass the bad guys? I mean, I am wildly impressed but it does not make them hit you less. Idiot” There’s affection underneath the telling off, she knows half of her bad timed jokes and inappropriate humour come from Stark and that he’s as alarmed by that as he is proud.

“My head hurts”

“Well obviously. You’re pretty banged up” He hands her painkillers and she swallows them dry before trying to get out of bed. He puts his hands out towards her on instinct, stilling her gently.

“Uh-Uh, where do you think you’re going, Bambi?”

“Bambi?”

“Your leg’s pretty bruised, that nickname will make sense when you try and walk”

She does manage to successfully get out of bed, realising what Tony means when she puts weight on her right leg, she can feel a bruise running along her shin bone and she makes grabby hands at him for help; combined with the pout he is powerless to resist and slings an arm under hers and across her back for support. She pauses briefly to press her face into the crook of his neck, whispering a “Thank you” against his skin before hobbling out and heading for the kitchen.

They stop in the hallway and she gazes into the mirror that hangs on the wall. Her forehead is bruised; a nice shade of purple slowly yellowing at the edges, her eye on the left is bloodshot and bruising, her lip is split and there’s traces of blood lingering in the hair at the side of her face; she knows Tony must have tried to wash it whilst she slept because as she runs a hand in it she can feel dried soap.

Her mother is out of her chair the moment Charlie enters the room and they hug gently before Charlie puts a hand on her Elena’s cheek to inspect the bruise to the edge. She can feel bile at the back of her throat but her mother’s fussing over her as she hears the door open; she guides her mother back to her seat before turning slowly to see a worried group of heroes enter.


	3. Chapter 3

Natasha is on her the second she steps through the door, stopping in front of her and touching her face thoroughly; checking her injuries. “Lev” she tuts under the breath, stroking hair out of Charlie’s face and continuing her inspection. She nods once before backing up to join the others, not one for public affection but Charlie knows this amount of fuss is equal to care on Natasha’s part. Steve is taking in the room, she can tell, checking for threats before his eyes meet hers and he gives her a sad and sympathetic smile.

“Let me put some tea on” Elena starts, moving to get up from her seat but Tony puts a hand on her arm to halt her before reaching over for the tea bags in the cupboard above the sink.

“Sit Mama, I got it.”

Charlie smiles at the familiarity, watching her mother’s eyes light up at the boy she considers a son, before limping slowly around the table to hug her friends. Steve keeps her at an arm’s length to look her over, bringing her in only quickly and placing a fatherly kiss on her forehead. Vision is not one for hugs so he nods at her with a comforting “I am glad you are okay” and Clint grabs her tightly, whispering his worry into her neck and pulling back when she groans quietly in pain, patting his hands over her arms.

“Where’s Bruce?” She whispers back, interrupting his mother hen routine.

“He started code greening, stayed behind with Wanda to calm him down” She’s actually touched that Bruce is so angry on her behalf he’d almost bring out the Hulk, she’d never want him to, of course, but it’s very sweet nonetheless.

Bucky keeps his head down and she can practically feel the anger surrounding him; she briefly worries that the previous conversation has caused irreparable damage between them but when she turns back to her parents at the table he reaches to intertwine his fingers with hers, giving a firm squeeze, a promise she thinks.

“Mama, Papa, these are my friends”

The kettle clicks and Thor helps Tony carry far too many mugs to the dining table before each of the group take one.

“Strapping group of guys and girls you found yourself, Pumpkin” Her father speaks, taking a moment to rake his eyes over them, his features are stern as he inspects them but he shrugs a moment later “Not shabby at all”

“I suppose you’ll want to be staying for a while then” Elena says but it’s definitely a command and not a question, knows that her daughter needs all her family around her and is sure that as much as Charlie loves them, she would leave with the family she has created; Elena has always put her daughter above herself but damn it all if she doesn’t want to keep her on the farm a little longer. She smiles at the family her daughter has made. She takes in her daughters fingers wrapped around Bucky’s and smirks at the pair “And I suppose you’ll be wanting this one in your room”.

Bucky chokes on air and struggles for words but Charlie laughs and squeezes his fingers just a little tighter; silencing his protestations.

“Yes Ma’am”

“Well I’d have picked the big tall blonde one but he’s pretty cute Baby” Her mother makes suggestive eyes and wiggles her eyebrows at Thor who beams back at her from behind his cup of tea and lifts it in her direction in salute; Charlie chuckles but really hopes that’s not how Asgardians flirt. Tony pouts at Charlie.

“But Bambi, we’re roommates, my name’s carved into the wall by the bed, I have rights”

“Tony Stark did you vandalise my wall?” Her father pipes up, raising an eyebrow in Starks direction and puffing out a breathy laugh when Tony whips his head around, wide eyed.

“No Sir! She did, I was a defenceless pawn in her plans. You raised a wild child.”

“I mean, if Bucky doesn’t mind you’re welcome to join us” She wiggles her eyebrows at him, smiling before letting out a wince as he lip opens up again and the laughter dies down as the group turn to her, various expressions from sympathy to amusement gracing their faces.

“I don’t want to bring the mood down, but there’s a man in my barn” Her father interrupts, winking at his daughter knowing he’s saved her from being the centre of attention; the atmosphere is incredibly surreal, her happiness at having everyone she cares about at direct odds with the fact she can still feel panic and fear running through her veins; jovial conversation and introductions clashing with the aches in her body.

“I know you’re all superheroes, but can a Colorado Hippie woman be the one to kill him?”

“Mama, are you high?”

“No Baby, but I think it might help”

Charlie gives a brief look up at the group and notes the anger on their faces; doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know what most of them are thinking.

“We can’t kill him”

The group collectively turns to face her again; she’s honestly surprised they all look so offended at her insistence.

“Um…guys, you’re heroes, you don’t kill Civilians”

“We kill bad guys” It’s Steve who says it and the complete and utter shock at that must show on her face because he sets his jaw and locks his eyes on hers “No man should ever lay a hand on a woman like he did”. She can feel tears prickling at the back of her eyes and she’s both touched at his response and mortified that the details of her past are common knowledge.

“No, you’re right Steve” She nods, hoping to convey just how grateful she is, and reaches over to clasp her free hand over his bicep “but it’s not him I’m worried about, it’s all of you. We don’t kill people for no reason” She looks at Tony for back up but he shakes his head.

“Don’t look at me for your moral compass; I want to rip his fucking head off. I had the whole time you were asleep to plot, you have no idea how many ways I’ve thought of to tear him apart”

“Charlie is right” Vision commands, stepping forward from the back of the gaggle to offer her backup and reassurance “Killing him isn’t the right thing to do”

“If he ever comes back here I’m shooting him with my shotgun” Her father is fierce and she can see the anger burning behind his eyes but he has her back, always has and always will; they disagree on a lot but she’ll always be his little girl and like it or not he’s wrapped around her little finger.

“That seems fair”


	4. Chapter 4

They head out to the barn in formation (which on any other day would make her laugh…maybe crack a boy band joke), leaving Charlie’s parents inside to clear the tea mugs; despite their insistence she is adamant that they keep safe inside. Andrew is lying on the floor, hammer on his chest and breathing heavy, occasional groans escaping his mouth between puffs of air.

She has Bucky’s hand gripped tightly in hers, half for reassurance and half because she’s worried about what he’ll do if she lets go; he was silent on the discussion about Andrews’ fate but she knows his opinion, can see it in the set of his jaw and the tension in his shoulders, feels it in the way his arm shivers with anger, his grip on her hand hard; he is not the winter soldier, they are two different people who have inhabited the same body and she trusts him implicitly but she knows without a moment’s hesitation that with even a fraction of permission he would tear the man on the floor apart with his bare hands without breaking a sweat. 

Andrew lifts his neck, sees the group in front of him and lets out a dark laugh through a thick exhale, words choked from his mouth.

“Damn Bitch, you brought the cavalry”

“Andrew, you’re making this worse” He takes a brief moment to bask in the shock at her standing up for herself.

“What, they’re gonna kill me?” His voice is low and his breathing haggard; she’s tried to lift the hammer and she knows how heavy it is. She nods to Thor who lifts it from him but stands closer in case he tries to run. She moves forward slowly, thankful when the group moves forward but even more so when they stop at her silent gesture, they are backup but she needs to conquer her demon. Charlie crouches beside him, roves her eyes over his and sees the damage done by Iron Man and a God in the world of men; his nose is bleeding, definitely broken, his eyes are both bruising badly and his arm is twisted at an angle that makes her grimace. She speaks with her voice low, eerily quiet but they can all hear her as the sound reverberates in the Barn.

“Do not come near me again”

“Who would want to come near you, you’re a whore, slutting it up for a bunch of do-gooders” She hears a noise that indicates someone has stepped forward, knows it’s Bucky, followed by a quiet clapping that suggests someone’s hand is on his shoulder.

“You are not doing yourself any favours Andrew” There is a threat to her voice that none of them have heard before, even Romanov is impressed. She presses a hand gently against the side of his face but she digs her thumb into the bruise under his eye as she speaks.

“You hurt my Mama and you need to run” She pauses, her face turned to stone, all trace of emotion draining from her eyes and if they weren’t on her side frankly even some of the group would be a little afraid “I could kill you now, I could beat you black and blue and make you cry and scream and beg…If I was a terrible person I could strip you bare and chain you up with your arms above your head in a dark, cold closet and deprive you of sleep and food for 3 days, do you remember that Andrew? I could do it, I could return the favour. But I am better than you in every way possible and if you find me again, if you so much as think of me or my parents I will set my do-gooders to do some not so good deeds and you will die, do you understand me? I am not scared of you anymore Andrew.”

Andrew is whimpering at this point, his insults having dried up and his attitude gone silent. He nods quickly and she moves her thumb away from his eye, shoots a nod to Vision in request; she doesn’t trust Tony to take him, not after what he’s just heard, this is new information to all of them, can see him grinding his teeth out of the corner of her eye, fists clenched. Vision grabs Andrew roughly and secures him in a firm grip before levitating himself, taking the blonde with him; she doesn’t know where he will take him and neither do the others but she trusts him to take him there in one piece.

She is curled in on herself and on the ground before she realises she’s even moved, huge ugly sobs wracking her body. She feels strong arms come around her, pulling her into a warm chest and she’s too tired to fight it off. The arms lift her gently but firmly until she is resting against a solid chest and when she looks up she’s met with the concerned green eyes of Bucky. There are tears in his eyes and she apologises loudly, hoping the others can hear her.

Tony is at her side in an instant, clammy hand against her face.

“You do not apologise for any of this” She nods weakly before his face changes “ _I’m sorry_ ” His voice is low and drenched in remorse “If I’d have known what was…that he…I would have come and…I would have gotten you out of there” She knows he’s crying and she wishes she had the strength to reply but her eyelids are drooping. She sees Steve lay a hand on Starks shoulder as her eyes slam shut. The beat of Bucky’s heart against her ear and the gentle drumming of it against her skin is the last thing she feels before she dozes off.

She wakes as they enter the kitchen, hears her Mama handing out blankets and pillows; directing people to rooms and beds. She hears her pause and then feels her mother’s cool palm pressed against her cheek before a kiss meets her forehead.

“Sleep my Baby”

Bucky carries her to the bedroom he’s pointed to, laying her gently on the bed before taking her shoes and socks off. She’s suddenly aware she’s already clothed in pyjamas, assumes someone (someone she hopes was not Tony) changed her when she was out of it earlier. She watches him strip his trousers and shirt off, feels herself glance lazily at him in appreciation, groggy from head wounds and exhaustion and not quite able to express how grateful she is or how much emotion is swimming inside her head.

“You’re so handsome” is apparently what her mouth decides will cover it.

He shoots her a brief and pained smile with more effort than usual, shaking his head slightly before crawling up the bed warily to lie next to her. She shrugs her vest top off gently, hissing at the pain on the side of her head as she catches it before throwing the garment to the floor. He moves a hand over her cuts gently, hovering but never touching and she watches his eyes swim with pain, closing shakily before pressing a kiss to the non-bruised side of her forehead. He slides his hands carefully, slowly, over the sides of her ribcage, checking for more bruises before wrapping his arms around her when he finds none. She presses her chest against his, resting her face in the crook of his neck and revelling in warmth and familiar smell of him.

“I’m sorry”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for Doll”

Bucky takes a minute to glance around the room, noticing how similar it is to her one at the tower; he recognises parts of the house from photographs she’s shown him and the photographs on the walls of her and Tony haven’t escaped his attention; there are images of them he assumes were taken by her parents, ones of each of them with her parents and a picture he recognises as one of the group; remembers it being taken and he’s amazed that her folks put it up with no question, welcoming them into their family gallery with no hesitation. He knows he’ll be getting a shovel talk at some point, assumes they will want to get to know him but he finally understands where her warmth comes from.

She’s distantly aware that tomorrow is going to be a nightmare; she has lived through this pain often enough to know the aches and the tears and the fear will hit and they will hit hard but as she falls asleep and hears him whisper a quiet “I love you” against her hair she can’t help but smile against the comforting flesh pressed against her.


	5. Chapter 5

She snuggles further into the warmth surrounding her, bringing the quilt over her head and she hears Bucky chuckle. She knows from the light streaming through the windows that it’s past 8am and she feels a knot of guilt that her promise to help out with the farm has been waylaid by sleep.

“Morning Doll” He whispers gently, running a hand over her cloth covered arm warily.

“No” She groans, brief joy at waking up interrupted as the pain in her body catches up with her. She winces hard as she feels her bones hurt, body feels like it’s made of lead.

He peels the covers away from her face and peppers her the top of her head with kisses until she grumbles and raises her head to look at him, wishing she hadn’t when he frowns at her hard and brings a hand to her forehead to gently touch the bruise she knows is there. She drops her head heavily into his chest and whines.

“Don’t look at me, I’m all bruised and gross”

“You’re not gross”

She’s about to argue back when she hears voices and laughter from the kitchen and footsteps in the hall outside that indicate they are the last ones to wake.

“Charlie, time to get up” Elena calls from outside the door, tapping against the wood. She knows that her mother would let her sleep all day if she asked, hell probably even if she didn’t, if she even so much as winced Elena would fuss and baby her.

“No Mama, we’re having sex, go away” She chuckles at the mortified look on Bucky’s face and rolls quietly, painfully to the side of the bed to pull on last night’s vest. She groans, aching all over and he presses a hand soothingly to the middle of her back as he voices comforts repeatedly. She brings her legs over the side of the bed, holding back multiple winches and limps over to his pile on the floor and picks the bundle up into her arms.

“Honey if you’re having sex that quietly I suggest a new man; try the big blonde one”

She barks out a loud laugh before throwing the pile in Bucky’s general direction before feeling bare arms come around her waist from behind. He rests his chin on her shoulder and presses his lips to a spot on her cheek that is unblemished, trailing his lips down to her neck and lingering there; she can feel the tension in his body and wonders if it comes from being close to her, anger or pain.

“I could kiss all the healthy parts” He mumbles against her skin, thumb gingerly running a pattern against the flesh of her hip.

“You could, but Mama says I need to give Thor a shot” He pulls away gently, giving her waist a quick squeeze with his palms and raises an eyebrow at her.

“Your folks are so weird”

“Yep!” She beams at him (or tries, feels like one side of her mouth isn’t quite cooperating), completely proud of her parents and enjoying the smile he gives her as he acknowledges them; her brain is still on their phone call and she wonders how much time she can buy herself before he brings it up again. “I need a shower and we both need breakfast, come on” she grabs his hand, pulling him slowly to the door before stopping and casting a glance at his naked chest “maybe put clothes on first, you’re not quite ready for naked family dancing yet” He raises an eyebrow at her again but she’s exited the room and made her way to the bathroom before he can question it.

She wanders to the kitchen clad in a light cream summer dress and bare feet; still towelling her hair dry, mindful of the scrapes and marks on her head. She stops in the doorway, leaning against the frame and takes in the scene before her; Tony is doing dishes in the sink, handing plates to Clint to dry, Elena is sitting at the kitchen table talking to Bucky (he smiles at her entrance and she takes that a sign he’s not receiving the third degree or a shovel talk) and Thor is sitting next to her shovelling bacon into his mouth.

She hangs the towel over the top of the doorframe and leans down to peck her mother on the cheek before glancing around.

“Where are Cap and Tash?”

“The strong handsome one is chopping wood outside and Natasha went to town with your father to stock up on food”

“Natasha went…grocery shopping?”

She’s starting to feel like she’s stepped into a very surreal sitcom. Her mother rises from her seat, groaning slightly before wandering over and placing a hand on Tony’s shoulder.

“Thank you for doing the Dishes Baby”

“You’re welcome Mama”

“Thank you too Clint” She slaps the archers butt playfully and Clint laughs as he squirms away.

“No problem Elena”

“Mama, did you put my friends to work?”

“They offered!” She defends, plopping back into her seat and smiling when Charlie wraps her arms around her neck in a hug before straightening up and looking at the list of daily chores attached to the refrigerator and seeing which ones still need to be done.

“I’m gonna go let the horses out and feed the chickens, you want to come?” She shoots a look to Bucky, offering him a way out of the kitchen and he nods, standing from his seat before pushing it back in under the table. Elena grabs his metal hand as he walks by her, giving it a firm squeeze and Charlie shoots her mother a look of thanks. She listens briefly to the chatter as she holds the door open for Bucky, letting him out before shutting the door behind her.

They walk…he walks and she limps, over the field in silence; his pace slowed to allow for her laboured footing and they take in the scenery; she grew up here, knows it like the back of her hand and the view of the snow covered mountains against green pastures and never fails to take her breath away.

“It’s beautiful here” She nods but doesn’t respond, moving to hold his hand in hers as they head to the paddock.

“Tony calls your parents Mama and Papa?”

She chuckles, gets the feeling he’s out of his depth and drops his hand to climb gingerly over the paddock fence, accepting his help as she hops down the other side before gesturing for him to do the same, wincing as she realises hopping wasn’t the sensible choice; he shuffles closer to her, wrapping his arm around her waist gently in a silent show of support as she regains her breathing; ribs pinching tight and settling heavily on her lungs.

“No, Mama is Mama but Papa is always Sir. He told him years ago to call him Joe but it never stuck. The Christmas cards are very awkward; ‘to Mama and Sir’, I think it was a sign of respect at first but now I think he does it to annoy the old man” Bucky laughs, can imagine that’s something Stark would find funny, his penchant for nicknames hitting at every opportune (and sometimes not) moment he can find.

She unlocks the stable door, stroking one of the chocolate brown horses on the muzzle and letting it nudge against her, resting its head against her upper body. She beckons him forward, shushing the horse calmly as it huffs against her. “Shush Girl, it’s okay” she carries on stroking it’s muzzle as he lifts his hand up, halting nervously in front of its face. She takes his hand gently and rests it against the soft hair, moving it in slow circles before letting him pet on his own. She stills for a moment and lets him bond with the horse before nodding at him to take his hand away, leading it out of the stable by the shoulder before letting go and watching her run. She repeats the same routine with the male horse and smiles lovingly at them in the field.

“You’re good with them”

“I love them. Boy is the one that threw Tony into the hay so I have to give him kudos for that”

They feed the chickens, Bucky laughing as they run around her feet and chase her as she moves with the bucket of grain and she flips him the finger as she trips over them. She climbs over the gate slowly, with more caution than before and away from the feathered beasts before sitting cautiously on the ground a few feet away, facing the mountains and asking him to join. He can see the tension from pain in her shoulders, usual supple, almost musical movements stiff and unnatural. The noise of the house is far away and she can hear buzzards overhead and the stream in the distance.

“I like it here”

“I’m quite fond of it myself”

He’s turned to look at her but she’s unaware, he looks as if he’s not seen her before, noticing something that only he can see as she lifts her face to the sun and closes her eyes. Despite the bruises and the cuts there’s something free about her here, uninhibited and completely at home; slightly sun kissed gleam to her skin.

“Why didn’t you want me here?”

She sighs, enjoying the sun on her face before turning to him, gentle and reassuring smile etched on her lips.

“I was worried”

“That your parents wouldn’t like me?”

She laughs, warm and indulgent and she shakes her head.

“That you wouldn’t like them”

“How could I not?”

“I’m not ashamed of them; it’s just hard to talk about your parents who are alive and happily married with people who don’t have any. Some of them had awful parents, you’ve lost yours and mine are here and happy and it kind of feels like bragging”

“That’s not what I asked”

“You come from a time with strict morals; I come from a home of total freedom, my parents smoke weed and walk around with no clothes on. I had no rules and very few boundaries, hell, most of the trouble I got into as a kid was WITH my folks. I was worried you’d judge them and I’m sorry”

“I’m not judging”

“I know”

“I really like them”

“I know that too”

“If you don’t want me here I can leave Charlie” She knows he’s telling the truth, knows that if she tells him to go he’ll go  no questions asked even if he didn’t understand and she scoots closer, rests her head on his shoulder.

“I’m really glad you’re here” He moves an arm around her waist and rests his hand on her hip “I’m really really glad you’re here and it’s not solstice, Mama would eat you alive if she saw you dancing nude”

“Do they really do that?”

“Oh, it’s tradition” He laughs loudly before stopping to listen to the quiet sounds of the farm. She turns her head gently into him and places a kiss just below his ear.

“You told me you loved me” She whispers into his skin, tone teasing but he knows there is a question behind it, maybe even a worry that he’ll take it back once it’s acknowledged. He rubs his stubble gently against her cheek, nuzzling against her before whispering back.

“I did”

She moves her head to look him in the eye, pulls a face and jabs him playfully in the ribs. He smirks at her, eyes twinkling.

“Do you?”

“Yep” He says it casually, full of nonchalance but she can see the playful smile pulling at his lips “Do you?”

She’s silent, smiling to herself as she turns her face back to the mountains, flopping down so she can lay on the green beneath her. He’s watching her again as her fingers splay out on the green earth. She closes her eyes and heaves a dramatic sigh before opening them and turning her face, cheek pressed against the cool ground, familiar smell of the fresh grass filling her nostrils.

“I suppose so” She smiles.


End file.
